Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s Snake will be voiced by actor Kiefer Sutherland, Konami announced in their pre-E3 press conference today.
It was revealed previously that veteran voice actor David Hayter, who has voiced Snake since his incarnation in Metal Gear Solid, would not be returning for Metal Gear Solid V. Since then, speculation has run rampant with people wondering would would take his place, or whether Kojima was tolling fans by saying that Hayter wouldn’t be returning.

Turns out he was telling the truth all along.

Sutherland will be voicing and performing the motion capture for Snake. Kojima was referred to Sutherland by producer Avi Arad who believed that he would be a good fit for the role. The Phantom Pain takes place in 1984 and Konami wants an actor would could genuinely convey a 40-year-old Snake’s voice and facial motions. Sutherland turned out to be a perfect fit.

“The themes are a little different from previous games in the series,” Hideo Kojima said in the press conference. “We’re taking on some heavy subjects, like race and revenge. As a result, I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice, rather than words.”

Sutherland is no newcomer to video games, having voiced Jack Bauer in 24: The Video Game and Sgt. Roebuck in Call of Duty: World at War.